


Storms And Voids

by KassandraScarlett



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-27
Updated: 2019-03-27
Packaged: 2019-12-25 11:00:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18259928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KassandraScarlett/pseuds/KassandraScarlett
Summary: Iron Man may be alive, but Tony Stark has been dead for a long time.





	Storms And Voids

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a Tumblr thread.

  She's not sure why it happens. Something about the Soul World amplifies her abilities. The second she fades away from the real world, her mind and body are bombarded with foreign emotions. Fear. Anger. Confusion. Guilt.

  It's odd, because she's all alone. She can't hear or see anyone around her in this orange-hued world. Or maybe that's because she's screaming, with her eyes squeezed shut.

  In the back of her head, she tries to calm down, tries to block out her empathy. But it doesn't work, not when the pain’s so great. She's grown stronger since helping defeat Ego, having practiced and honed her abilities with the help of Peter and Drax. Now, as her mind instinctively starts segregating the emotions, making each one of them clearer and easier to identify, she regrets that training, almost wishing for the days she was naïve and clueless.

  There's a little bundle of guilt and panic. Somewhere, there's a mountain of resignation and sadness. Then a pillar of pained strength and pride. A mound of betrayal and loss. And there is a storm, a raging maelstrom of guilt, determination, and crushing despair.

  Mantis can feel it all, all of it swirling inside her, pounding at her temples and crushing her heart. She can no longer even hear herself cry, and she's not sure if the orange hue is still the space around her, or just the back of her eyelids.

  It lasts for an eternity. And then, she fades again.

  There are voices everywhere. Joyful cries, relieved sobs. But the echo of her torture runs inside her and she can't stop shaking, can't stop feeling, even though she knows she isn't really.

  There's a semi-familiar voice: “Mantis, hey, kid, you okay?”

  There's a warning yell: “No, Stark, wait-“

  It's too late. A pair of warm hands grip her shoulders. Mantis tries to flinch away, but the grip is strong and she feels-

  _Nothing_.

  Everything in her head rushes out, replaced by a soothing cold. Darkness. Her head clears, her heart stops hurting, there's no more pain, no grief or anything else. Just... Nothing. There's a thin throb of concern, but it seems... Concealed. Mostly, it's just... Emptiness.

  Trembling, now in the wake of her own realization, she opens her own eyes to find a pair of sharp brown eyes peering at her in worry. “You’re safe, dear,” Tony assures. “You're back, and you’re on earth. You're team’s right there.”

  She doesn't look away, though. Tony's smile is comforting, his hold grounding, his eyes warm and friendly. But she could barely feel any of it, just a whisper of feelings shrouded by walls of stone.

  “Thank you,” she manages to stutter, but she's filled with horror. She suddenly can't decide which is worse: the onslaught of turbulent emotions from every direction, or the terrifyingly comfortable emptiness?

**Author's Note:**

> My Tumblr: bad-days-and-beautiful-nights


End file.
